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This local favorite is known for its global fusion fare and jam cocktails (yep, jam cocktails—surely Queen Elizabeth would approve). Stir blueberry jam into a gin-citrus libation, or warm up with pepper jam and tequila. It’s all so delicious There now has a Denver location as well.

Being in nature is being in my happy place. The US’ National Parks provide plenty of unspoiled nature. The Rocky Mountain National Park is huge, beautiful and abundant with wild life. It’s a pleasure to go and make all your senses happy. If you have kids, it’s even better. Running in fresh air, checking out the wildlife is bliss for them. This particular shot was on the Trail Ridge Road. A portion of it was closed and this is as far as we could go by car.

If you’re feeling a bit short of breath, you’re not imagining things: the elevation of this restaurant, is more or less on par with Denver at around a mile high. Special not only because of its altitude, this restaurant is also unique because of its location in a volcano (don’t worry; it won’t erupt). Ceviche and grilled meats are the specialties of the house, which diners enjoy while watching hummingbirds flutter about in the air.

Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is a family vacation resort and conference center whose showcase feature is a 50,000-square-foot water park, heated to a humid 84 degrees Fahrenheit (a treat in the middle of the high Colorado desert). It’s next to Interstate 25, just north of Colorado Springs. Though the water park is accessible exclusively to guests at the hotel, the Adventure Park is open to the public, with completely dry activities including a ropes course, climbing wall, mini-golf, gem-panning, bowling, arcade, and several hotel-wide scavenger hunt games. Meals are not included in the room price, but there are restaurants on the property, including healthy options, allergy-friendly kitchens, and, exclusive to the Colorado property, Barnwood, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar in the lobby, which sources as many local ingredients as possible. To avoid crowds and lines, the water park at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is only open to guests of the hotel, which has 311 suites, differently configured, themed, and sized to accommodate families of all sizes; rates begin at $199 per night and include access to the water park. In celebration of the grand opening, they’re offering discounts of up to 30 percent on multi-night stays through the end of March. Pro tip: bring your own bathrobe and flip flops.

Colorado National Monument is one of those places that many of us drive by a hundred times (it’s right between Denver and Moab, Utah) before finally entering the protected area and discovering the extent of this national treasure—that is so easily accessed from Interstate-70. It consists of a cluster of high cliffs and red-rock formations stretching high above the valley below. Of course the best way to be there for the sunrise is to camp in Saddlehorn Campground, inside the park, perched high atop one of the principle rock formations (photo above from inside the campground). Or you could stay in a hotel in nearby Fruita or Grand Junction (the Grand Junction KOA has a number of options as well, including renting your own RV by the night). Wherever you stay, be sure to set your alarm clock for zero-butt-thirty and get up to one of the many lookout points in Colorado National Monument before the sun comes up. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be able to check off another iconic Colorado experience.

On this seven-day Colorado travel itinerary, adventure abounds—from National Parks, hiking, fat-tire biking and art to brewery tours, sleigh rides and skiing.

On this episode of View From Afar, host Michelle Baran talks with Colorado Tourism Office director Tim Wolfe about why the state that invented destination stewardship is having its biggest year yet—and what the rest of the country can learn from it.

On this episode of View From Afar, host Michelle Baran talks with Wyoming’s new executive director of tourism, Domenic Bravo, about why the Cowboy State is so much more than Yellowstone.

On this Feel Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar, the team celebrates baby salmon heading to sea, United’s first female senior pilot, and the joy of following pottery signs through rural Minnesota.

The best hotels offer more than a place to stay. On this episode of Unpacked, we reveal how our favorite new hotels help guests unlock a destination.